Illuminated gear-shift lever for automobiles



Aug. 4, 1925. 1,548,197

J. M. KENDALL ET AL ILLUMINATED GER SHFT LEVER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed May 2. 192s INVENToR. ./'osEP//M/(E/VUALL.

BY for E Heee/5.

ATTORNEY Patented Aug'. 4, 1925.

I UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I. KENDALL AND RDY E. HARRIS, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

ILLUKINATED GEAR-SHIFT'LEVER Fon. AUTOMOBILES.-

Application led May 2,

. To all 'whom t may concern:

- Be it known that we, JOSEPH M. KENDALL and ROY E. HARRIS, citizens of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a certain newA and useful Illuminated Gear-ShiftLever for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to gear shift levers, for automobiles, and the' objects of our V1nvention are: first, to provide -a gear shift lever with an illuminated knob on its extended end; second, to provide a gear shift lever knob which may be illuminated and which will also illuminate the interior of the front portion of the vehicle if desired; third, to provide a means for warming a gear shift lever knob'; fourth, to provide an illuminated knobfor gear shift levers which is adaptable for use in connection withvvarious makes of gear shift levers now in use;

. fifth, to provide a novelly constructed gear shift lever for vehicles, and sixth, to provide a device of this class, which 1s very simple and economical of construction, durable, efficient, `applicable for use with dierent makes of automobiles and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other, Objects in view as will appear hereinafter, our invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had.

to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

vFigure 1 is a side elevational view ofv the normally upper end'of a vehicle gear shift lever ap aratus showing our new construction; Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof through 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial sectional and elevational view of the upper end of the vehicle gear shift lever in a slightly modified form; and Fig. 4 is a similar view in another slightly modified form. Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings. v

The knob member 1, bushing 2, adapter 3, lever member 4, lamp 5, socket 6, socket end member 7 and electrical conductor 8 `-constitute the principal parts and portions l1923. Serial No. 636,084.

of our vehicle gear shifting lever in its preferred form.

The knob member 1 is preferably spherical in shape, though it may be other shapes if desired, and is composed of translucent material, preferably-onyx. It is provided in the one side to a little past the center with arecess 1u as shown best in Fig. 2.of the drawings and in this recess is secured an internally' threaded bushing 2, by means of ment 2, and so positioned that the end of the bushing 2 protrudes slightly from the knob member 1, as shown inthe drawings. There is provided an adapter member 3 which is shaped as shown best in Fig. 2 of the drawings, provided with an enlarged externally threaded portion, adapted to fit the threads of the interior of the v. bushing 2 and provided with a recess 3a therein adapted for the socket member 6 to fit snugly therein, and also provided with a reduced portion 3", externally threaded adapted to fit the internally threaded end of the lever `member 4. This reduced portion 3b is also provided with a hole 3c therein,ada ted for the conductor 8. The socket mem er 6 is provided at one end with an end member 7 which is provided with a central hole in which is mounted an insulated bushing 7a,-

in which is supported the conductor 8, the end of which forms a terminal for the terminal. of the lamp 5 which is screwed into the socket 6. A conductor 8 connects at its other end with the battery or other source of electrical energy.

The lever member 4, it will be noted on the different vehicles varies considerably. In some cases'the upper end is threaded externally, in some cases it is threaded internally, and is of varying-sizes. In most cases this lever is solid, however, it is preferred to provide a hollow lever as shown in the drawings so that the conductor 8 will pass through the lever and from the lower end extend to the source of' electrical energy, therefore,`in Fig. 3 there is provided a modiied form of adapter member 9 which is the same as the adapter 3 except that instead of a reduced portion the extended end is enlarged and provided with a threaded recess 9a, adapted for the external threadedend of the lever 4, the construction of the knob and other portions being the same as in Fig. I.

In the modified form, as shown in Flg. 4

of the drawings, the adapter is eliminated and the bushing 2 is adapted to screw ony the externally threaded end of the lever itself, inv which case the lever 4 is threaded externally adapted to receive the threads of the bushing 2. At the upper end, the lever is provided-` with a recess 4 in Which the bushing 6 is snugly itted, the remaining portions of the structure being the same as in Figs. l and 2.

Though wehave shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and certain modifications thereof, we do not Wish to be limited to this particular construction,

.combination and arrangement nor to the motliications but desire to include in the scope of our invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

It is obvious that with this construction there is provided a novel gear shift lever construction for automobiles in which the knob may be illuminated so that it isv very conspicuous: that the light if desired may r -be made so that it will illuminate the interior oi' the front portion of the vehicle; that the knob will be slightlyT heated bythe electric light bulb, thus making it Warm in cold weather; that the adapter and other means for-jconnection provide means adapting it for use in connection with various makes of gear shift levers for automobiles.

maaier Having thus described our invention,

what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In an automobile gear shift lever, an automobile gear shifting lever member, an, adapter member secured at thefree end of the said lever, a translucent knob for said lever provided with a recess in on'e side thereof, a bushing secured in said recess provided with internal threads adapted to fit on said adapter, an electric lamp socket sein said socket, and a conductor connecting said lamp with a source of electrical energy,

extending longitudinally through said lever member.

In testimony whereoffwe have hereunto lset our hands at San Diego, California, this.

25th day of January, 1923.

. JOSEPH M. KENDALL. ROY E. HARRIS.

vtranslucent knob, an electric lamp mounted 

